A TedEd by Armand D'Angour
In 776 BCE, the Olympic games first took place in the ancient Greek city of Olympia as a tribute to the Greek god Zeus. They believed that competition fosters excellence, so they held a variety of competitions like running, poetry, singing, and more. The first games began with the 200 yard dash, but the games quickly evolved to include boxing, chariot racing, the pentathlon, and other events. Then in 391 AD, during the Roman Empire, the Christian Roman Emperor Theodosius banned the Olympic games, ending the millenia long tradition. 1500 years later, in 1896, the first modern games began in Athens, Greece, bringing thousands of athletes from around the world together in the world's largest sporting event.
